USDA grants apprived for Virginia specialty crops growers

October 3, 2014
Mariah Timms
News Writer
Virginia News

U.S. Department of Agriculture grants totalling more than $560,000 have been approved for sixteen Virginia projects. The grant amounts range from $20,000 to $50,000 per recipient, who are all involved with promoting speciality crops including wine grapes, strawberries and Christmas trees. The funding was assigned based on a competitive process designed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Recipients include the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability, to study chestnut production and marketing; Virginia Tech, for fermentation strategies of apples used for cider; and the Mount Rogers Area Christmas Tree Growers Association, for a genetically improved Fraser fir seed orchard, as reported by the Associated Press. Governor McAuliffe announced the grants Friday.